What if I tell you that green tea may not always be the appetite suppressant that you thought it will be?
Green Tea is known to be an amazing drink that keeps you healthy and fit. People now a day are health conscious and they consume green tea for health benefits and weight loss.
You may wonder all usefulness aside but why is green tea making me hungry?
Today we are going to make you clear of this confusion.
Let’s see why is green tea reacting like this on your body.
Does Green Tea Make You Hungry?
Yes, green tea does make some people hungry. Many people drink green tea during fasting to control hunger pangs and decrease their appetite.
Generally, green tea is known to control your food intake and make you have fewer cravings. But you may be one of those people who get hungry after the intake of green tea.
So, does that mean there is something wrong with you? No, it isn’t despite the general perception green tea may make you hungry.
This can happen due to many reasons. Let’s discuss those in detail.
9 Reason Why Green Tea Makes You Hungry?
If you feel hungry after drinking green tea then the possibility is that you have a fast metabolism and green tea is working efficiently on your body. Following are the reason why does green tea make you hungry.
1) Timings of Drinking
One of the reasons you may be feeling this way is the timings of consuming green tea. Usually, when green tea is taken on an empty stomach it creates appetite suppressant effects.
However, if you are drinking green tea before meals or right after chances are that after some time it will use your body’s energy and makes you hungry again.
2) Digestion
When green tea is taken after food it helps in relaxing the tummy muscles and digest the food easily. This is the reason green tea is known to make your bowel movements easier.
It helps you ease your digestion and takes out the gases in your body. Green tea also helps with bloating. Thus, the feeling of fulness is released and you feel hungry again.
3) Caffeine
Green tea contains caffeine. It has approx. 30mg of caffeine in a cup of 8oz. This may be a little more content than coffee but it’s enough to energize you. This is the reason many people feel fresh and focused after drinking green tea.
Caffeine acts as a stimulant to your body in different ways:
- It boosts your metabolism and makes you burn calories. When the body’s fats are replenished it’s obvious it gets hungry and wants food for more energy.
- Due to the caffeine, green tea makes your digest your food, relieves gas. Thus, clearing your stomach. Hence makes you hungry.
- When your stomach is empty it signals the brain to eat something to get energy.
- Sometimes caffeine suppresses your hunger for the time being but if you don’t eat for long hours after drinking green tea. It will make you hungrier. Thus, increasing your appetite.
4) Blood Sugar
Many people when on diet tend to drink green tea and coffee for survival. The caffeine in green tea may spike or decrease your blood sugar level.
This mostly happens when you are eating healthy and trying to shed some weight.
Insulin is the main hormone that is responsible for controlling the blood sugar levels in your body. It decreases the amount of sugar by processing it.
Caffeine in green tea may stimulate the production of insulin. Due to this reason, sometimes your blood sugar decreases instantly.
Hence, your body feels the need to consume something to spike up the sugar levels.
People with diabetes crave sugar and such things, they need to stay clear of caffeine.
5) Warm Brew
Drinking warm beverages has a lot some health benefits. A cup of warm water in the morning helps kick start bodily functions.
When you drink a warm cup of green tea, it will increase the internal temperature of the body. Thus, the body goes into stress mode and in return makes you sweat, urinate and consume energy.
The result is making you hungry and needs to consume food for the energy used.
6) Anxiety
Anxiety is one of the side effects of drinking excessive amounts of green tea. Many of us react to anxiety and stress by being busy with something else.
Most of the time it results in stress eating. Your body sends signals to the brain to consume energy for the potential threat. This is not healthy and never encouraged.
Thus, anxiety and stress makes you eat more.
7) Using Energy
When you drink a cup of green tea, it starts many functions in your body. It increases the blood flow in the arteries by un-clogging them & thus reducing the risk of strokes.
It increases brain functions, makes your heart beat faster. Green tea also helps in burning more calories. All of these processes use a lot of the body’s energy.
Therefore, when energy is used, the body will need to refill again because of being hungry.
8) Acidic Reaction
Although green tea is not an acidic tea it may cause acidity in the stomach especially if you drink it on an empty stomach or early morning.
This heats the intestines and they start working up the metabolism and digestion process even when no food has been eaten. Due to this reason, you feel hungry and want to grab something instantly to fill you.
9) Faster Metabolism
Green tea is known to increase your metabolism. When the body uses more energy to lose weight. It does so by burning calories and decreasing fats.
When your body is deprived of the calories it signals you to eat something. Thus, you end up hungry.
What’s The Solution?
The main reason green tea makes you hungry is due to the caffeine in it. Let’s see what can you do if you want to continue drinking green tea but not feel hungry.
1) Iced Green Tea
As we read above warm tea and drinks can increase your appetite. Therefore, you can try drinking iced-green teas.
They have similar benefits and are more delicious. Coldwater does not have the same hunger-inducing effects as warm water. So, switch to iced-green tea for better results.
2) Choose De-Caffeinated Green Tea
Caffeine is the main culprit of increasing the appetite. If you decrease the caffeine content in your drinks then it might decrease the effects of making you hungry.
You can choose decaffeinated green teas for this purpose. They also have caffeine but in very small amounts.
3) Change Timings
Changing the time to take green tea can be a solution to your problem. Never drink it on an empty stomach. The best time is to take in between the meals.
If your goal is to reduce weight and suppress appetite then try having a cup of green tea before a workout.
Frequently Asked Questions
People asked related questions about green tea making them hungry. We answered them for you.
Why Green Tea Should Not Be Taken Empty Stomach?
Green tea is not recommended to be taken on an empty stomach because it can cause some adverse effects to the body.
An empty stomach can generate certain acids after drinking green tea, which results in bloating and constipation. Some people may have pain and gasses after drinking green tea.
Does Tea Make You Less Hungry?
Tea can suppress your appetite or increase it. It depends upon many factors like at what time are drinking it, empty or full stomach, and ingredients of the tea.
Can You Drink Green Tea When Hungry?
Yes, you can drink green tea when hungry. If you are on a diet then it’s a good way to fill yourself and reduce cravings.
Does Green Tea Help You Manage Hunger Pangs And Cravings?
Yes, it does if you take it in moderate amounts and at a specific time. Green tea may help you in eating junk and unnecessary food. It curbs bad eating habits.
Conclusion
Green tea is an ever-demanded drink in today’s era. It provides you with many benefits. The effects of green tea are different for different people according to their condition.
Caffeine is the main reason for increasing appetite. It burns calories, uses more energy, and makes you burn fats. Thus, this results in the body needing more food.
If you think green tea is making me hungry then try the three solutions that we provided to have better results.
